The United States and Israel launched major strikes against Iran on Saturday, with President Donald Trump announcing that “major combat operations” were underway and warning the Iranian regime it would face overwhelming force.
“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime," Trump said in a statement early Saturday morning.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2026
Explosions were reported in Tehran following weeks of U.S. military buildup in the region, including additional aircraft carrier strike groups and cargo and tanker flights. Tensions had escalated amid nuclear talks that Trump suggested had stalled.
Trump said the operation aims to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to dismantle its missile and naval capabilities.
“We are going to destroy their missiles and raise their missile industry to the ground,” he said. “We are going to annihilate their navy… They will never have a nuclear weapon.”
The president described Iran as “the world’s number one state sponsor of terror” and cited decades of hostility toward the United States, including the 1979 hostage crisis, the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut and more recent proxy attacks in the Middle East.
Trump acknowledged the risks of military action, warning Americans that casualties are possible.
“The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties,” he said. “That often happens in war. But we’re doing this not for now — we’re doing this for the future.”
In his address, Trump also issued a direct warning to members of Iran’s military and security forces, calling on them to “lay down your weapons and have complete immunity, or … face certain death.”
He went further, urging Iranian citizens to seize control of their government once the fighting subsides.
“When we are finished, take over your government," Trump said. "It will be yours to take.”
Trump also advised civilians to remain indoors, saying, “Stay sheltered. Don’t leave your home. It’s very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere.”
This is the second strike on Iran in less than a year. In June 2025, the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear facilities.
